Generation Why: True Crime

In December 1980, U.S. Air Force personnel on patrol near RAF Woodbridge in Rendlesham Forest, England, reported strange lights moving through the trees and unidentified objects in the sky. When the lights reappeared two nights later, deputy base commander Lt Col Charles Halt recorded the events on a Dictaphone. What followed became known as “Britain’s Roswell.” Connect With Us Website: genwhypod....

September 28th, 2017. Poughkeepsie, New York. In the early morning hours, Nikki Addimando stepped out of her car and told a police officer that she had been in a fight with her boyfriend and shot him in self defense. Christopher Grover was found dead in the couple’s apartment. The investigation would show that Nikki had been abused by Grover for years leading up to the shooting, but would this sav...

January 12th, 2010. Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. JoAnn Matouk Romain disappeared minutes after leaving an evening church service. Two months later, her body was found in the Detroit River near Ontario, Canada. Officially, JoAnn’s manner of death is classified as undetermined. For special episodes and outtakes from Justin & Aaron visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Audible subscribers can listen...

Vinnie Politan from CourtTV joins Aaron to discuss three cases making the news. Have you been following these cases? Reach out to us on social media or email and let us know your thoughts. Vinnie also has a new season of Vinnie Politan Investigates airing right now on CourtTV. For special episodes and outtakes from Justin & Aaron visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Audible subscribers can listen...

August 30th, 2013. Castaic, California. Bryce Laspisa was driving home to visit his parents after exhibiting unusual behavior and breaking up with his girlfriend. In the early morning hours, Bryce walked away from a single-vehicle accident at Lake Castaic and was never seen again. For special episodes and outtakes from Justin & Aaron visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Audible subscribers can lis...

August 26th, 1986. Hewitt, Texas. Firefighters found the bodies of 8-year-old Joby and 9-year-old Jason Graf inside a burning shed. The fire was initially believed to be a tragic accident, but suspicion soon shifted to the boys’ stepfather Edward Graf. For special episodes and outtakes from Justin & Aaron visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Genera...

November 8, 2007. Constantine, Michigan. On November 8, 2007, 11-year-old Jodi Parrack went missing and was found hours later in a cemetery, murdered. The investigators on the case immediately zeroed in on family friend Raymond McCann. For years, they hounded him, interviewing him over 20 times. Finally, they were able to charge him with perjury and keep him behind bars while they gathered evidenc...

In the weeks after 9/11, letters laced with anthrax began arriving at newsrooms and Senate offices, killing five people and sending the country into a second wave of panic. The investigation that followed lasted years, consumed governmental resources, and ultimately pointed to a lone government scientist, Dr. Bruce Ivins, who died before he faced trial. The government closed the case in 2011, but...

February 6th, 2019. Beckley, West Virginia. On the day he and his wife were scheduled to have an important business meeting, Michael Cochran collapsed in his kitchen. He was admitted to the hospital for critically low blood sugar and died in hospice days later. A discovery made after a search of the Cochran home would raise suspicions that his death was no accident. For special episodes and outtak...

With the authorities having decided that the children died in the fire, George and Jennie Sodder hire private investigators to help them figure out the truth of what happened, where their children went, and who was behind it. For special episodes and outtakes from Justin & Aaron visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Generation Why ad-free right now....

On Christmas Eve 1945, the Sodder family, consisting of George, Jennie and 9 of their 10 children, awoke in the middle of the night to flames engulfing their house. Not everybody made it out of there; five of the Sodder children were believed to have perished in the fire that night. Despite what the authorities said, George and Jennie Sodder were certain that their children did not die that night....

February 16, 2025. Shots and screams filled the early morning in a Tamarac, FL, neighborhood as Mary Gingles fled her home after her father, David Ponzer, was shot. Her soon-to-be ex-husband, Nathan Gingles, calmly stalked her down the street as she banged on her neighbors’ doors, pleading for help. Within minutes, Nathan murdered David, Mary, and her neighbor, Andrew Ferrin, and walked away with...

August 22nd, 2001. The FBI arrested eight individuals as part of a conspiracy to steal millions in prize funds from the McDonald’s Monopoly sweepstakes. The mastermind of this conspiracy was the very person who was tasked with distributing the game pieces. For special episodes and outtakes from Justin & Aaron visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Ge...

May 31, 2000. Bloomington, Indiana. A 19 year-old Indiana University student disappeared while riding her bike on the morning of May 31st, 2000. Despite searches, no sign of Jill was found until three years after she went missing when her remains were discovered. Eventually, a man would be arrested for Jill's murder, but would the case against him be enough to convince a jury as well as the public...

Las Cruces, New Mexico. On a quiet February morning in 1990, a bowling alley in Las Cruces, New Mexico, became the site of one of the state’s most brutal unsolved crimes. 911 dispatch received a distressing call from a 12-year-old who stated seven people had been shot, including herself. Four people, three of whom were children, were killed in the attack. Three decades later, the case remains unso...

February 10th, 1999. Scarborough, Maine. Hours after Ashley Ouellette called her mother from a friend’s house, where she was supposed to be spending the night, her body was found in the road by passing motorists. For special episodes and outtakes from Justin & Aaron visit: patreon.com/generationwhy Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Generation Why ad-free right now. Join Audible...

A musician's home is raided, resulting in property damage and missing cash. He responded by making music videos and songs about the officers, which resulted in a civil trial no one is likely to ever forget. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

April 16th, 1993. Sugar Hill, Georgia. Emogene Thompson was found dead inside her vehicle. Investigators soon learned that a police car was seen at the crime scene on the night of the murder, leading them to suspect their own officer Michael Chapel, who responded to a burglary report at Emogene’s home days earlier. For special episodes and outtakes from Justin & Aaron visit: patreon.com/genera...

December 13th, 2020. Lulling, Texas. Texas State University student Jason Landry went missing while driving home for the holiday break. Jason was involved in a single-vehicle accident on a rural gravel road. Investigators believe he exited the vehicle, removed his clothing, and walked away from the crash in an unknown direction. For special episodes and outtakes from Justin & Aaron visit: patr...

September 4th, 2023. Terral, Oklahoma. 19-year-old Noah Presgrove was found dead on the side of the highway after a night of partying with friends. From the beginning, his death appeared suspicious, but there was no clear evidence of foul play. For special episodes and outtakes from Justin & Aaron visit: patreon.com/generationwhy See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California P...

If you haven't listened to part one then this episode isn't going to make a lot of sense. Go back and listen to the first ep. We covered the details of Dan Markel's murder and the implicated involvement of the Adelson family in episode one and now we’re going to get into the trials. Who will pay for the murder of Dan Markel? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy No...

On July 18, 2014, FSU professor and lawyer Dan Markel was shot in the head twice through the driver's side window of his car in his garage. His murder revealed a messy divorce, family animosity, and a murder for hire plot that resulted in five convictions over 11 years. Try our a patreon for free at patreon.com/generationwhy Who knows, you might like it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pri...

In 1985, John Sohus and his wife Linda went missing. The man who had been living in the guesthouse suddenly moved out. John’s remains were later found in 1994. In 2008, this same man kidnapped his own daughter off the street. He would later be convicted of kidnapping and murder- and his long trail of fake names and true identity would be unraveled in the courtroom. For bonus episodes and outtakes...

A successful businesswoman isn't looking for love, but when a tall, dark, handsome man enters her restaurant, she can't help but be intrigued. He offers to help her with her security cameras since he runs a security company and says he also works as an investigator for the local District Attorney. But not long after she notices some red flags and she breaks off the relationship, her life is turned...

Scarborough, Canada, 1987. Kenneth Parks walked into a local police station, bleeding from severe cuts on his hands, and confessed to murder. He claimed he was sleepwalking when he drove to his in-laws’ home and stabbed them. What ensued was a case that set a precedent in Canadian law and became a foundational reference for medical professionals. What are you waiting for? Go subscribe to our Patre...